1. Paul Ayers Robert Foster-Bell was born on March 1977 and is a former New Zealand diplomat, a politician and was a list member of the House of Representatives between May 2013 and 2017 for the National Party.
16 Facts About Paul Foster-Bell
1. 2.
Paul Foster-Bell attended Otaika Primary School, Raumanga Intermediate and Whangarei Boys' High School.
3.
Paul Foster-Bell studied in Dunedin, gaining a bachelor degree in archaeology, a graduate diploma in business, and a Master of International Studies with Distinction from Otago University.
4.
Paul Foster-Bell is of English, Scots, Irish, Portuguese and Maori descent, with whakapapa ties to the tribes of Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa and Te Aupouri.
5.
Paul Foster-Bell took leave from MFAT from June to November 2011 to contest a parliamentary election.
6.
Paul Foster-Bell contested Dunedin South at the 2002 general election, losing to incumbent David Benson-Pope.
7.
Paul Foster-Bell stood in the Wellington Central electorate during the 2011 general election.
8.
Paul Foster-Bell was called to Parliament in May 2013 as a list MP, replacing Jackie Blue.
9.
Paul Foster-Bell was a member of the Health Committee and of the Justice and Electoral Committee.
10.
In March 2014, Paul Foster-Bell sought the National Party nomination in the Whangarei electorate, but was beaten by Shane Reti.
11.
Paul Foster-Bell stood in Wellington Central once more, and was beaten by Labour's Grant Robertson.
12.
In March 2017, Paul Foster-Bell had his Arbitration Amendment Bill, which aimed to change New Zealand's arbitration regime to "conform more closely to international standards" drawn in the member's bill ballot.
13.
Paul Foster-Bell strongly denied these allegations, saying that he was not a bully.
14.
In 2016 Paul Foster-Bell received criticism for his travel expenses, which totaled more than $61,000 for a one-year period.
15.
In February 2017, Paul Foster-Bell announced that he had withdrawn from the National Party's candidate selections for the 2017 election and would retire from politics.
16.
In 2016 Paul Foster-Bell announced that he was gay in response to remarks made by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki regarding homosexuals.